Sunday, September 28, 2008

Weekend Wokking: Pumpkin Coconut Creme Brulee

There’s really nothing to say about this dessert, except that it’s absolutely fabulous! Everybody who tastes it will sing your praises. They’ll tell you that you’re a genius. They’ll tell you that your pumpkin coconut crème brulee is probably the best they’ve ever tasted. You’ll even have the die-hard-vanilla-only-crème-brulee purists wrapped around your finger. It’s that good.

Note: I used garam masala because this dessert was destined for an Indian food potluck. You may choose the more traditional spices found in pumpkin pie or Emeril's suggestions.

In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk, heavy cream, sugars and garam masala just to the boiling point, stirring frequently.

While the cream is heating, in a large glass or non-reactive bowl, whip the egg yolks until they are pale, about 2 minutes.

Temper the eggs by adding about a cup of the hot cream slowly with vigorous whipping. Add the remaining cream and mashed pumpkin. Whisk well to mix thoroughly.

Strain the mixture through a semi-fine sieve. Don’t skip this step because the pumpkin may have some coarse or gritty bits in it. Divide the custard among eight ½ cup ramekins or a casserole dish that can hold about 4 cups. Place in a water bath (use boiling water), making sure the water goes at least halfway up the sides of the ramekins or casserole. Bake at 300F. The ramekins will take about an hour. It took me 1.5 hours for the larger casserole. These times are approximate. The custard will not be firm like a quiche, but it shouldn't appear runny either. It’s best to use your judgment. If it still looks too wobbly, leave it in for longer, checking every 10 minutes or so.

Once the custard is done, remove it from the oven and place it on a rack to cool to room temperature before sticking it in the fridge to set overnight.

To serve, put the custard in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before caramelizing the sugar on top. If you are going to use a broiler for the job, freeze the custard for 45 minutes to 1 hour, otherwise the custard will be warm and loose, rather than thick and creamy. Trust me, it won’t freeze through. Serve immediately after caramelizing the sugar.

This is my submission to Weekend Wokking (just in the nick of time!), created by Wandering Chopsticks. Precious Pea is hosting this month. Check out the round-up at her site this coming Wednesday to see the other submissions and to get the next secret ingredient. To find out who’s hosting or if you’re interesting in hosting, click here.

I love anything pumpkin! But this! Ooooooh! I'd even attempt to make my mom's banh xeo for you just to get a spoonful of this. The garam masala addition is inspired. Man, I'm so loving all the coconut entries this month!

looks really delicous. I made a standard vanilla creme brulee but with a marmelade of rose hips at the bottom this weekend at my friends wedding... big hit too :-) I'll have to try this out, sounds really aromatic.

Lars, I just tasted rose hips for the first time a few weeks back! I like the taste, but too many seeds. Although in a marmalade, they would probably softened. The garam masala was very subtle, but went nicely with the coconut and pumpkin.

Oh, I'll definitely sing the praises of this goodie! What a great recipe! Perfect timing, too, with the fall weather looming in the near future. I love the different flavor punches you've added here like the garam masala and coconut milk. YUM!

next months secret ingredient is pumpkin! looking forward to your creativity again. hehehe, was wondering what will you pair with pumpkin next :-) gorgeous looking brulee btw, better than those outside.